Sondland Contradicts Himself Repeatedly in Impeachment Hearings
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There were ‘no’ preconditions, said the ambassador, regarding Trump and Zelensky meetings and situations
In often confused and contradictory testimony on Wednesday on Capitol Hill, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland went round and round with GOP Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and Republican Counsel Steve Castor during the House Intelligence Committee’s televised impeachment inquiry hearings.
Sondland played possum on his knowledge of Burisma until late in the process — and stated ignorance about any aspect of the controversy touching the Bidens until recently.
If such is true, the ambassador’s media and political aides are not earning their pay.
Pressing Sondland on his assertions of a link between a meeting between the two presidents — President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky — and an investigation of Burisma, Castor asked, “Did the president ever tell you about preconditions?”
Sondland admitted, “No.”
Nunes and Castor seem to be trying to isolate presidential lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s communications to Sondland from those of the president. Is the former mayor being made a fall guy for the president?
If so, is this on committee initiative or on orders from the White House?
Republicans are keying in on a September 9 conversation Sondland had with the president.
In the exchange, Sondland asked the president, “What do you want?”
That question was in regard to the Ukraine.
By both presidential recollection and Sondland’s testimony, the president responded, “I want nothing! I want no quid pro quo! I just want Zelensky to do the right thing.”
In a later conversation, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) said the president told him the same thing.
full story at https://www.lifezette.com/2019/11/sondland-contradicts-himself-repeatedly-in-impeachment-hearings/?utm_source=home-headline